Semi-finished wood simulating product and method

Abstract

A semi-finished wood simulating product and method is disclosed. The product is manufactured by providing a substrate having at least one surface to be finished. A liquid basecoat is applied on the substrate and dried. A wood grain pattern is deposited, in liquid form, on the basecoat. Some of the pattern is transferred from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position. The pattern is then cured. A polymerizable protective coating is applied onto the substrate overlying the basecoat and the pattern. The protective coating seals the substrate and is adapted for accepting a colorant to be applied by an end user. The protective coating is then polymerized. Additionally, if a porous substrate is provided, a sealer is applied prior to the liquid basecoat and is then cured.

What I claim is:  
     
       1. A semi-finished wood simulating product formed from a substrate, the product having a surface that simulates the appearance and tactile qualities of raw wood and is capable of accepting paint, varnish or stain as applied by an end user, the product produced by the method comprising the steps of: 
       a) providing a substrate having at least one surface to be finished;  
       b) applying a liquid basecoat on the substrate;  
       c) drying the basecoat;  
       d) depositing, in liquid form, a wood grain pattern on the basecoat;  
       e) transferring some of the pattern from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position;  
       f) curing the pattern;  
       g) applying a polymerizable protective coating onto the substrate and overlying the basecoat and the pattern, the protective coating sealing the substrate; and  
       h) polymerizing the protective coating, said polymerized protective coating being sufficiently porous to thereafter accept and retain wood stain applied by an end user and being sufficiently hard to permit stacking of a plurality of semi-finished wood simulating products without substantial degradation to said coating.  
     
     
       2. A product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       providing a substrate having a porous surface.  
     
     
       3. A product as produced by the method in claim  2 , including the step of: 
       providing a substrate selected from the group consisting of medium density fiberboard and pressboard.  
     
     
       4. A product as produced by the method in claim  3 , including the steps of: 
       a) cleaning the porous surface of the substrate;  
       b) coating the porous surface with a sealer; and  
       c) curing the sealer.  
     
     
       5. A product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       providing a substrate having a non-porous surface.  
     
     
       6. The product as produced by the method in claim  4 , wherein: 
       the sealer after curing has sufficient impermeability to prevent subsequent liquid materials applied thereon from penetrating through the sealer and contacting the substrate.  
     
     
       7. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , wherein: 
       the protective coating after polymerization has sufficient transparency to permit the wood grain pattern to be visible therethrough.  
     
     
       8. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       providing a protective coating having sufficient porosity to permit the protective coating to absorb and retain a colorant applied thereto.  
     
     
       9. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       depositing the pattern onto the substrate by rotogravure printing, the rotogravure printing utilizing a print cylinder.  
     
     
       10. The product as produced by the method in claim  9 , including the step of: 
       causing the print cylinder to roll randomly across the substrate from an input edge to an output edge so that when multiple substrates are produced the wood grain pattern is deposited randomly relative to the input edge of the substrate.  
     
     
       11. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the steps of: 
       applying the basecoat in two layers.  
     
     
       12. The product as produced by the method in claim  11 , including the step of: 
       applying the protective coating in two layers.  
     
     
       13. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       providing an acrylic composition as a sealer.  
     
     
       14. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       selecting as the basecoat a vinyl acrylic copolymer having a controlled viscosity so as to simulate the tactile qualities of raw wood when the basecoat is dry.  
     
     
       15. The product as produced by the method in claim  1 , including the step of: 
       selecting as the protective coating an acrylic/amino composition.  
     
     
       16. The product as produced by the method in claim  12 , including the steps of: 
       a) providing a dwell period following application of a first layer of two layers of the basecoat;  
       b) providing a dwell period following application of a second layer of two layers of the basecoat;  
       c) burnishing the second of the two basecoat layers;  
       d) selecting a polymerizable protective coating material dissolved in cosolvents as the polymerizable protective coating; and  
       e) heating the substrate to a temperature sufficient to remove the cosolvents from the protective coating.  
     
     
       17. A semi-finished wood simulating product formed from a substrate, the product having a surface that simulates the appearance and tactile qualities of raw wood and is capable of accepting paint, varnish or stain as applied by an end user, comprising: 
       a) a substrate with a porous surface;  
       b) a sealing layer coated on said surface;  
       c) a basecoat on said sealing layer;  
       d) a wood grain pattern deposited on said basecoat, said wood grain pattern formed by deposition in liquid form;  
       e) a polymerized protective coating on said basecoat, said polymerized protective coating being sufficiently porous to thereafter accept and retain wood stain applied by an end user and being sufficiently hard to permit stacking of a plurality of semi-finished wood simulating products without substantial degradation to said coating.  
     
     
       18. The product of claim  17 , wherein: 
       said basecoat is a vinyl acrylic copolymer having a controlled viscosity so as to simulate the tactile qualities of raw wood.  
     
     
       19. The product of claim  18 , wherein: 
       said sealing layer-is an acrylic.  
     
     
       20. The product of claim  17 , wherein: 
       said protective coating is sufficiently transparent to permit said wood grain pattern to be visible therethrough.  
     
     
       21. The product of claim  17 , wherein: 
       said protective coating is sufficiently porous to permit said protective coating to absorb and retain a wood stain when applied thereon.  
     
     
       22. The product of claim  17 , wherein: 
       said protective coating is an acrylic amino polymerizable composition.  
     
     
       23. The product of claim  17 , wherein: 
       said wood grain pattern is deposited randomly relative to an edge of said surface of said substrate.